Apparatus for mixing fluids



July 25, 1967 R. D. REED 3,332,442

APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUIDS Filed Jan. 18, 1965 INVENTOR ROBERT D. REED BY Q LkQL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,332,442 APPARATUS FGR MIXING FLUIDS Robert D. Reed, Tulsa, Okla, assignor to John Zinlr Company, Tulsa, 014121., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,012 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-604) The present invention relates to a device for providing a homogeneous mixture of fluids such as two liquids or two gases and the invention more specifically pertains to a device for developing intimate intermingling of two fluids in the same physical state in response to energy developed when the fluids are brought together under different pressures.

It is often desirable in carrying out thermal or catalytic processes to mix fluids and in the production of gaseous fuels it is often necessary to mix two gases or two liquids and it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which serves to mix such fluids by the utilization of the pressure differences at which the fluids are brought into the presence of each other and to utilize the energy resulting from such a pressure difference to carry out the mixing and thereby provide a substantially homogeneous mixture of the fluids.

A more specific object of the invention is to' provide a conduit assembly having a generally linear passage therethrough for one fluid which is supplied for movement therethrough under one pressure with the conduit device equipped with structure for receiving another fluid under a greater pressure and with the assembly equipped with ports for discharging the second fluid in directions generally transversely of the linear moving first fluid to provide a screen of the second fluid through which the first fluid must pass to provide an intimate intermingling of the fluids.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a device for mixing fluids and embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the inclined disposition of the discharge ports.

1n carrying out the invention the apparatus may take various forms and in the embodiment shown in the drawing the device includes a cylindrical shaped conduit type housing 10. A supply pipe 14 is connected to the upstream end of the housing and an outlet pipe 16 is connected to the downstream end of the conduit. Flange structures 11 and 12 may be provided on the housing member 10 for facilitating connection of the conduit to the pipes 14 and 16. A tubular member 17 is arranged within the housing 10. A flange 18 carried by the upstream end of the tubular member 17 joins the interior of the housing 10 and a similar flange 19 carried by the downstream end of the tubular member 17 joins the housing 10. Such structure provides an annular space or chamber 21 within the housing member 10.

A pipe fitting 22 extends laterally from the mid-portion of the housing 10 in open communication with the annua lar chamber 21. A supply pipe 23 is connected to the fitting 22 and is for the purpose of guiding one of the fluids under pressure into the device. A tube 26 is mounted on a tubular member 17 and extends along the axis of the assembly as shown in FIG. 1. The free end of the tube 26 is closed by means of a hemispherical shaped wall 27. The

3,332,442 Patented July 25, 1967 tube 26 has an elbow portion 28 which is connected to and supported by the tubular member 17. The interior of the tube 26 is in open communication with the annular chamber 21.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced ports 31 are provided which extends through the cylindrical shaped wall of the tubular member 17. These ports are desirably arranged in a row and generally within a plane which extends transversely of the conduit assembly. The ports 31 are located adjacent the upstream end of the conduit assembly and provide communication from the annular chamber 21 into the passage 41 provided within the tubular member 17. A plurality of discharge openings 32 are provided through the wall of the tube 26. The openings 32 are circumferentially spaced from each other and arranged as a row within substantially the same transverse plane as the ports 31. The discharge openings 32 provide communication from the interior of the tube 26 to the pas sage 41.

In operation and when it is desired to mix two liquids having the same physical state one of the liquids is supplied into the pipe fitting 22 from the supply line 23 under one pressure as for example ten pounds per square inch. This liquid moves into the annular space 21 and some of the liquid escapes through the discharge ports 31 and moves radially inwardly in the passage 41. Another portion of the liquid in the annular chamber 21 moves into the tube 26 and escapes through the discharge openings 32 and moves radially outwardly in the passage 41. A screen of liquid is thus established within the passage 41.

The other liquid is supplied through the inlet pipe 14 under a lower pressure such as for example at about five pounds per square inch. This liquid moves generally linearly through the passage 41. If the liquid supplied through the fitting pipe 22 is a light fuel oil and if the liquid supplied through the pipe 14 is a heavy fuel oil there will be movement of the light fuel oil into an intermingling relationship within the heavy fuel oil because of the greater pressure under which the light fuel oil is supplied. The extent of the mixing of the two liquids is principally proportional to the velocity at which the liquid moves through the discharge ports 31 and the discharge openings 32. The velocity is directly proportional to the square root of the pressure drop at which the two liquids are supplied. An acceptable degree of homogeneity is obtained when the pressure drop from the conduit fitting 22 into the passage 41 is in the order from five to ten pounds per square inch. In carrying out the mixing of liquids the total number of ports 31 and the total number of openings 32 may be small in number because there is ample energy for mixing at readily attainable pressure differences.

In carrying out a mixing of gases one gas is supplied into the pipe fitting 22 under pressure. The other gas is supplied by the pipe 14 under a lesser pressure. The pressure drop within the passage 41 where the gases mingle provides the energy for mixing the gases.

The device herein described has been found to produce complete homogeneous mixture of gases to provide fuel or a mixture of gases for process conversion to useful products and for providing homogeneous mixtures of liquids. It has been found that the total number of ports 31 and discharge openings 32 may vary in number and in the mix ing of some fluids it is advantageous for the axes of the ports 31 and the axes of the openings 32 to be inclined upstream of the conduit assembly. The axes of the ports 31 and the axes of the openings 32 may depart from a transverse plane 36 over a range from about five to twenty degrees as shown in FIG. 3 and in directions which are counter-current to the flow of the fluid in the passage 41.

While the invention has been described with reference to particular structural features and to one type of conduit assembly it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the overall organization as well as in the components. Such modifications and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for mixing fluids comprising, a housing having an inlet and outlet with a generally linear passage within the housing extending from the inlet to the outlet, a tubular member within the housing providing an annular chamber beween the housing and the tubular member and around said passage, a pipe fitting extending laterally from the housing in opening communication with said chamber, a tube carried by said tubular member in open communication With said annular chamber, said tube having a closed end portion disposed coaxially within said tubular member, said tubular member having discharge ports providing communication from said chamber into said passage, said tube having discharge openings providing communication from the tube into said passage, means for guiding a first fluid under pressure into said pipe fitting for escape through said discharge ports and escape through said discharge openings, and menas for guiding another fluid at a lower pressure into said inlet i for movement through said passage and into the presence of the first fluid.

2. A device for mixing fluids according to claim 1 wherein the discharge ports and the discharge openings are in one plane disposed generally transversely of the housing.

3. A device for mixing fluids according to claim 1 wherein the tube extends towards the inlet of the housing and the discharge openings are adjacent to the closed end portion.

4. A device for mixing fluids according to claim 1 wherein the discharge ports and the discharge openings are in one plane disposed transversely of the axis of the housing, and the axes of the discharge ports and the axes of the discharge openings diverge at an angle of from five to twenty degrees from said plane and towards the inlet of the housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,702,373 2/1929 Alexander 239-4275 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

D. H. LAMBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR MIXING FLUIDS COMPRISING, A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND OUTLET WITH A GENERALLY LINEAR PASSAGE WITHIN THE HOUSING EXTENDING FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET, A TUBULAR MEMBER WITHIN THE HOUSING PROVIDING AN ANNULAR CHAMBER BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE TUBULAR MEMBER AND AROUND SAID PASSAGE, A PIPE FITTING EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE HOUSING IN OPENING COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER, A TUBE CARRIED BY SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER, SAID TUBE HAVING A CLOSED END PORTION DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING DISCHARGE PORTS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION FROM SAID CHAMBER INTO SAID PASSAGE, SAID TUBE HAVING DISCHARGE OPENINGS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION FROM THE TUBE INTO SAID PASSAGE, MEANS FOR GUIDING A FIRST FLUID UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID PIPE FITTING FOR ESCAPE THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE PORTS AND ESCAPE THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE OPENINGS, AND MENAS FOR GUIDING ANOTHER; FLUID AT A LOWER PRESSURE INTO SAID INLET FOR MOEMENT THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AND INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE FIRST FLUID. 